A big thanks to BA rongcsc for sending this bottle to me in trade. As a lover of the "Mayan Imperial Stout" substyle, I've long wanted to sample Huna to see how it compared to the other beers of high repute in the style. This bottle is the 2015 vintage, bottled just a couple short weeks ago. Poured into a small Cigar City Belgian-style tulip glass.

Appearance (4.25) - Off to a good start, a moderate pour reveals an inky black liquid with tendencies towards dark brown and yields a slowly-developing head that tops out at about a finger thick of dark sepia colored foam. Retention is moderate, with the bubbles sticking around for a minute or so before receding to reveal a ringlet and a smattering of film across the surface of the liquid. Benath, the liquid is unforgivingly dark and impossible for light to pass through. Lacing is sparse and almost nonexistent.

Smell (4.5) - Straight out of the fridge, I'm wondering what the hell is going on. Notes of roasted malt and chocolate, and subtle hints of vanilla are present, with just the faintest suggestion of cinnamon and spice. However, by the time this reaches room temperature, the invitees have all arrived at the party, with a balanced blend of chocolate cake and baking spice, cinnamon and an underlying presence of roasted malt are all present. Nothing stands out, but in some ways, that's impressive in and of itself.

Taste (4.5) - Much like the smell, the various elements are all at play in moderate proportions. I'd say baker's chocolate is the predominant characteristic, but it certainly doesn't overpower the cinnamon and now, for the first time I get a subtle kiss of heat from the chiles. With each subsequent drink, that gentle heat builds cumulatively--I imagine consuming this quickly would end up with a pretty fiery mouth. Worth noting, I recently had the 2014 as well, and the extra year brings the vanilla much more to the forefront, increasing the sweetness of this already sweet stout by a considerable amount. We're not anywhere near Vanilla Rye levels of vanilla sweetness, but I'm a little surprised at how prevalent it is on the year-old vintage.

Mouthfeel (4.75) - Full-bodied and with moderate to low carbonation. Viscous and chewy, like a good imperial stout should be. Finish is semisweet and lingering.

Overall (4.5), a superbly done beer, although I must admit a personal preference to Abraxas because I love the cinnamon bomb element of Abraxas. But for those not as cinnamon-obsessed, this might be the best of the "Big Three" cinnamon/chocolate/pepper imperial stouts. The vanilla separates it from Mexican Cake and Abraxas, but that inclusion doesn't really rear its head as much in the fresh beer as it does once it gets some age on it.

Appearance: deep mahogany, almost black in color. 1 finger of a tannish head with decent retention. not much of a lacing but some viscosity to it. completely opaque and dark.

Smell: strong cinnamon mixed with fruits, dark and light (definitely get notes of apple.) big notes of chocolate fudge and other varieties of cocoa. coffee, somewhere between light roast and mocha. some booze

Taste: opens with notes of apple brandy along with cinnamon. booziness comes through pretty quickly. cocoa varieties comes through strong along with some fudge. this blends into a mocha or perhaps a light roasted coffee.

Mouthfeel: slick and viscous, heat from both booze and spice.

Overall: no doubt one of the kings of the spice stouts, but I'd take a standard, non-ba stout of similar proportions almost any day. tasting the three side by side was nice, the fresh and year old were both very good but a bit different in balance and the two year old had fallen off completely and tasted turrible.

Not worth the hype in my opinion. This has to be one of the roughest imperial stouts I have ever drank, and it's only 11%. While I admit that it has some bold flavors, it was not pleasant or drinkable by the likes of my palate.

EBF Pour. Thick and pitch black. The body sticks to the side of the sample cup. Aroma is pretty insane. The usual roastiness and chocolate of a high end example of the style is all there but I am also greeted with a zany mixture of heat and cinnamon spice. The flavor brings forth more of the same flavor intricacies. Thick chocolate and roasted coffee followed by a peppy chili heat. Not overly hot but the heat tickles the back of the tongue. The cinnamon is also very easy to detect and I admittedly enjoy this more than what the chills give off. Thick bodied. Lingering aftertaste. I find some noticeable bitterness. A lot going on in this revered brew. I was not in love with all of it but there is surely plenty to find appealing.

This was worth the wait. I had a very worthwhile review my wife made me take down. This is my scrubbed review. I like it. I like my wife. I like my dog. I think Jinx is a great show. Good beer. I hate snow. Go Britta Truskey

Taste: Like the aromas, it has loads it has a lot of dark fruit and molasses sweetness upfront followed by tones of roasted malts, chocolate and coffee. The vanilla, cinnamon and chilies are still there but a bit more faint than the rest.

Mouthfeel: It has a low-med carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied by great flavors and aromas. This is definitely up there with my top Stouts. Cigar City never ceases to amaze me. Keep em coming!

2014 bottle. Good, but I felt the hype really took over. Maybe it's the fact that it's aged a year. I got a lot of cinnamon and not much vanilla or cocoa. Great stout for sure, solid for sure. Just don't know about world beater for my personal taste.

This is a review of the 2014, I hope I can land a 2015 to see if there is any difference in age.

Appearance: Like pouring dark thick syrup out of the bottle. Very little head in the beginning and then fades to nothing by the end.

Aroma: Not as dramatic as I would have expected it to be. Maybe its the age, maybe its my nose, but it smells almost identical to Marshal Zhukov's. Lots of molasses and sweeter notes some dark fruits, not really noticing the adjuncts though.

Taste: Alright here is where the adjuncts come through! Still strong vanilla and molasses taste are dominant, very reminiscent of MZ, but here is the kicker, you get the burn on the back of the tongue and then it spreads to the entire tongue. Very cool!

Overall: Very well made beer. Glad I had the chance to try it, I would love to try a fresh bottle to see if the adjuncts hold a more robust flavor. Someone noted that the heat had faded from the peppers, but that is one note that I can certainly say has not. Very nicely done Cigar City!

Huge thick stout that really nails all the flavor pieces it claims to include. Hard to drink a lot of this stuff - and I say that as someone that adores spicy stouts - but an impressive brew nonetheless. Sort of evinces a spicy dark chocolate brownie. Come to think of it, it'd be great alongside such a thing!

The aroma is cinnamon, chocolate, chilies, vanilla - exactly as advertised. Right away I can tell this is a super complex and intense beer. The taste follows the nose with huge chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon notes. Its such a big beer and sets the standard for mouth feel. The beer is coating the glass and my mouth. I can taste this beer 5 minutes after taking a sip because it coats the mouth and throat so heavily. Chilies have faded after a year, but still remain prominent in the nose and the heat builds as the beer coats the mouth and throat. It pours with almost zero head and that counts against it is the look department, but its hard to find anything wrong with this beer. Edit: 2015 version has less cinnamon. Adjusted scores on aroma and taste.

One of the blackest pours i've seen. The minimal head is a very dark brown with burnt red hues. Aroma has pepper, chocolate and vanilla.
Flavor is unique and stands out from other Imperial stouts. Chilies start off the taste, leaves than returns in the finish. Rather than give heat, it lends the actual flavor of the pepper, can almost imagine biting into one. Among that is the cocoa and the cinnamon drops a bit of flavor but lends much more to the texture and feel. Very happy to have tried this!

Shared after the massive let-down at Huna’s Day 2014 when one of the share guys overpaid for a bottle, which we poured into the commemorative tasting glasses. 2014 vintage. Opaque black body with a tan head that settles but leaves good lacing for such a high ABV brew. Aroma is cocoa, coffee, pepper, cinnamon, and dark malt. Taste is off-the-charts good - sweet chocolate, vanilla, and malt; bitter spice and coffee; subtle chili pepper and booze warmth. Full body, thick, creamy texture, soft but appropriate carbonation, warming boozy finish.

T. The taste follows the nose in a nice way. Roasted flavors of the espresso and malts hit first, then the peppers create a little spice as it opens. Not much heat, nice and subtle. A hoppy bitterness results from the coffee. I pick up on the cinnamon at the end.

M. My favorite part of this beer. Thick and silky, and very smooth. Highly viscous, and full body.

O. Obviously this beer had huge expectations and it lived up to the hype. Cigar City hit a home run with this beast and it's easy to say this is a very well crafted beer. I typically prefer bourbon barrel aged stouts, but his is just fine without being aged in barrel. Now I wonder what a barrel would do to this and feel maybe this is better without.

The nose is fresh chocolate, dark chocolate, with a spiciness from the chilis. The vanilla is present but subtle. the taste is full of chocolate, definitely a dessert beer. There is a slight fruit but fresh cocoa and a subtle spice.

Side-by-side with Bomb! and Abraxas, this is the clear winner. Taste of cinnamon becomes more apparent as the beer warms up and it adds the perfect amount of spice. Heat from the chilis does not linger and is pleasant, not overpowering. All in all it is a world class brew and cannot wait to open my second bottle on a special occasion. You will not be disappointed if you enjoy this style of brew. Even if you are not a fan of spiced stouts you will probably enjoy this. Chocolate hints, cinnamon perfection and a mouthfeel that balances on perfect.

Bottle from March, 2014. Look: Appearance is black with a small tan head. Smell: There is a lot going on here on the nose. I get a lot of cinnamon, some vanilla and peppers. Taste: This is a flavor explosion of the best kind. In addition to the cinnamon and vanilla the spiciness of the peppers really stands out. Feel: Carbonation is fairly normal for having almost a year of age. Overall: This is one of the best stouts I've ever had. It's incredibly balanced and everything an Imperial Stout should be. Well done, Tampa!

I was very excited to try this beer, and courtesy of a fellow beer nerd and friend who moved to Florida in the last year, I was finally able to acquire this mythical beer. It pours jet black and has very little head, a little bit formed at the tail end of the pour but that was it. The smell is moderately sweet and smells like a blend of cinnamon, vanilla, & a hint of chilies. NOW... the most important part: the taste. This beer is extremely well balanced, especially for a flavored stout. At first you get a sweet taste that incorporates the chilies and cinnamon, which transitions into a slightly bitter cocoa taste before finishing with a smooth vanilla. The mouthfeel can be described in one word: smooth. For as complex as this beer is, it is incredibly smooth. I recommend anyone without direct access to this beer to do everything you can do to arrange a trade, It's worth about 95% of the insane amount of hype it gets, which is quite an accomplishment.

S- Lots of Chocolate and some vanilla and rum notes. As for the chilis, I can pick up very slight dried ancho aromas that blend with the chocolate. Cinnamon starts presenting itself as the beer warms up, and adds a nice spice note.

T- Follows the nose. Chocolate is up front and incredible. Then in the middle of the palate the vanilla and rum notes present themselves. As the beer warms the cinnamon kind of starts presenting itself and it is really complementary to all of the other ingredients. Chili takes a while to be able to notice. But I am starting to get some chili head as the beer reaches room temp. the wonderful thing about this beer is that it keeps changing quite a bit and revealing new surprises as it warms.

M- Not as thick as a beer as I expected. Carbonation is quite low but perfect. Not as heavy a beer as I had expected. Dangerously smooth.

O- Best beer I have ever had. I expected something similar to Prairie Bomb. It is better than Bomb, yet a little lighter. This beer is like chocolate in a glass. Incredible.